Jakarta, 30 September 2022
A laboratory quality management system is essential to ensure that COVID‑19 laboratories in Indonesia provide accurate and reliable results. One of the ways to inspect a quality management system is the external quality assurance programme (EQAP), which evaluates performance using methods such as proficiency testing, retesting and on-site evaluation.
As part of an effort to monitor the quality of testing in COVID-19 laboratories around the world, the World Health Organization (WHO) organized a global round of proficiency testing by distributing unknown samples in the form of panels to member countries. These panels arrived in Indonesia recently and are now in the process of being distributed to the provinces.
“In Indonesia, 1 034 laboratories in 34 provinces will receive the panels. Every laboratory will test the panels and the Ministry of Health will input the results through an online platform. Results are evaluated and analysed, and laboratories will be informed about their performance. The EQAP process is important so we can see which laboratories perform well and which ones need support,” said Minister of Health, Budi Gunadi Sadikin. “When every laboratory adheres to the global standard and able to provide reliable services, citizens will benefit. They can get trustworthy results from laboratories, and then get proper treatment based on those results.”
The Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia Quality Assurance Programs (RCPAQAP) will compile the results from Indonesia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Timor-Leste. The compilation will then be sent to WHO, which will analyse the results to generate a global COVID-19 EQAP report. “Our shared health security depends on whether COVID-19 transmission rates can be controlled in our region. Australia is supporting Indonesia with expert policy and technical advice to mitigate the spread of the virus,” noted the Australian Ambassador to Indonesia, Penny Williams.
Meanwhile, the European Union (EU) supports the distribution of panels and supportive supervision visits to laboratories in Indonesia as part of the EU-WHO Southeast Asia Health Pandemic Response and Preparedness programme. “This cooperation reaffirms the continued EU’s commitment to support Indonesia’s response to COVID-19 and to strengthen the health system in the country. Global cooperation and solidarity is the way to defeat the virus and start a sustainable global recovery,” said the EU Ambassador to Indonesia and Brunei Darussalam, Vincent Piket.
The proficiency testing in EQAP will provide the Ministry of Health (MoH) with a comprehensive overview of COVID-19 laboratory performance at global and national level. It allows performance comparison, provides early warning for systemic problems, provides objective evidence of the testing quality, indicates areas for improvement, and identifies training needs. The Prof. Sri Oemijati National Infectious Disease Laboratory of the MoH, as the national COVID-19 referral laboratory that coordinates the intervention, will utilize the proficiency testing results as the basis to conduct supporting supervision visits and technical assistance to underperforming laboratories to help them improve their accuracy and reliability.
Furthermore, the data will help WHO to fine-tune its COVID-19 technical assistance to member countries, including Indonesia.
About the Ministry of Health of Indonesia
The Ministry of Health is responsible to aid the President in managing public health in Indonesia. The ministry carries out several functions, including: formulation, stipulation, and implementation of policies in the field of public health, disease prevention and control, health services, and pharmaceuticals and medical devices; coordinating the implementation of tasks, fostering, and providing administrative support to all elements of the organization within the Ministry of Health; implementation the formulation and providing recommendations for health development policies; and implementation of the development and empowerment of human resources in the health sector as well as the management of health workers.
Media contact: Halo Kemenkes through hotline 1500-567, SMS 081281562620, email kontak@kemkes.go.id
About WHO
Dedicated to the well-being of all people and guided by science, the World Health Organization leads and champions global efforts to give everyone, everywhere an equal chance at a safe and healthy life. We are the UN agency for health that connects nations, partners and people on the front lines in 150+ locations – leading the world’s response to health emergencies, preventing disease, addressing the root causes of health issues, and expanding access to medicines and health care. Our mission is to promote health, keep the world safe and serve the vulnerable. https://www.who.int
Media contact: WHO Communications Team, seinocomm@who.int
About the European Union
The European Union (EU) is the economic and political union of 27 Member States with a population of 447 million. Together, the EU has built a zone of stability, democracy and sustainable development while maintaining cultural diversity, tolerance and individual freedom. In 2012, the EU was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for advancing the goals of peace, reconciliation, democracy and human rights in Europe. The EU is the world's largest trading bloc, and the world's largest source and destination of foreign direct investment. Collectively, the EU and its Member States are the largest donors of Official Development Assistance (ODA), providing more than half of ODA globally.
The 27 Member States of the EU (in protocol order) are: Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Ireland, Greece, Spain, France, Croatia, Italy, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Hungary, Malta, Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Finland and Sweden.
For more information about the EU and its relations and cooperation with Indonesia, access: http://eeas.europa.eu/indonesia., and on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Youtube.
Media contact: delegation-indonesia-info@eeas.europa.eu
About the Australian Government
Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) works with international partners and other countries to tackle global challenges, increase trade and investment opportunities, protect international rules, keep our region stable and help Australians overseas. The quality assurance in Indonesia’s COVID-19 laboratories is supported by the Australian Government.
Media contact: Public-affairs-jakt@dfat.gov.au
COVID-19 sample panels for the external quality assurance programme (EQAP).Photo credits: WHO/Bunga Manggiasih